At least 78 bodies have been retrieved from an abandoned gold mine in Stilfontein, South Africa, where illegal miners have been trapped for more than two months. The toll was released on Wednesday by local authorities, who also said that 166 miners had been rescued alive. However, hundreds remain underground, and the number of dead could rise.
The rescue, which began on Monday by court order, is proceeding slowly because of the depth of the shaft, at 2.5 kilometres, and the limited space in the rescue cage. Without the direct cooperation of the authorities, for alleged "security reasons", volunteers have taken responsibility for the operation, which could last another ten days.
Civic groups claim that the South African Government contributed to the worsening of the situation by cutting off access to food, water and medicine and by removing the ropes and pulleys the miners used to transport supplies and to enter or leave the mine. The authorities, however, maintain that there were other viable, albeit dangerous, ways of leaving the mine.
"Scene of horror" revealed on video
Activists released shocking footage showing dozens of corpses wrapped in plastic in a dark cave, as well as malnourished miners begging for food. There are reports of people who have been trapped since July, in unsanitary and debilitating conditions.
It is estimated that more than 500 people were in the mine when the rescue operation began. Many are foreigners, including Mozambicans, Zimbabweans and citizens of Lesotho, known locally as 'zama zamas', a Zulu term meaning "those who try".
Illegal mining is a widespread practice in South Africa, especially in the Johannesburg region, where thousands of people, including minors, work in abandoned mines. Authorities say that, since December 2023, around 14,000 illegal miners have been arrested in seven provinces, and 6,000 disused mines have been identified across the country.
Economic and social impact
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has described illegal mining as "a threat" to the economy and national security, given that annual losses to the Government and the mining industry amount to one billion dollars.
However, reports of human rights violations and the precariousness of the rescue operations have intensified criticism of the authorities’ response. Among those rescued were 27 undocumented Mozambican minors, who were repatriated to their country in December.
The Stilfontein tragedy casts a sombre light on the social and economic challenges surrounding illegal mining, as the number of victims continues to rise and the humanitarian crisis beneath South African soil persists.
